CITY DECIDES THERE’S NO CLIMATE EMERGENCY:

Party politics splits council climate change debate

PARTY politics has bitterly split Geelong councillors during a bid to declare a “climate emergency”, which was shot down by a single vote.

About 100 climate-change protesters packed out City Hall on Tuesday night for a council meeting, in the hopes the city would pass a notice of motion to declare a climate emergency.

The group began the meeting singing and chanting, but exited after three hours of questions and debate in a haze of anger and disappointment — with screams of “shame” directed at councillors.

The majority of councillors rejected the notice of motion, instead passing an alternative motion acknowledging “climate change poses a risk to the people of Geelong and Australia, and requires a genuine and co-ordinated response”.

Each side of the vote accused the other of either “party politics” or “internal politics” in the decision to use or reject the term ‘climate emergency’.

Greens councillor Sarah Mansfield had tabled the notice of motion for the city to declare “climate change poses a serious and immediate risk to people in Geelong, Australia, and globally, and should be treated as an emergency”, along with a handful of further actions.

Introducing the motion, Cr Mansfield said “climate change unequivocally poses a serious and urgent risk”.

“There has never been a greater need for collective action,” Cr Mansfield said.

“As a mother I can tell you I would give anything for things not to be as dire as they are … I’ve been gripped by the overwhelming fear of what lies ahead for our kids.”

Councillors Jim Mason, Pat Murnane, Peter Murrihy and Mayor Bruce Harwood supported Cr Mansfield’s motion.

“There is an existential threat on global wellbeing, to me this threat reigns supremely above politics,” Cr Mason said in an impassioned speech. “This is bigger than politics and I appeal to all that this must be a matter of conscience.

“We should be ashamed that globally young people everywhere are reminding us of our responsibilities.”

But, Cr Stephanie Asher’s alternative motion was passed by a one-vote majority, with the support of councillors Anthony Aitken, Kylie Grzybek, Eddy Kontelj, Ron Nelson and Trent Sullivan.

“The bulk of the motion is the same,” Cr Asher argued, claiming the term ‘climate emergency’ had become a political tool.

The alternative motion also requested the city develop a sustainability framework to identify potential ways to take further action on the impacts of climate change in the Greater Geelong region.

So far, 54 Australian councils were listed as having declared climate emergencies.